Phil Wilkinson

The Grand Final-winning coach has tonight been linked with a role in the 13-a-side code.

League Weekly is reporting he has been offered a role with ambitious League One outfit Newcastle Thunder.

It is thought he would be allowed to continue with his part-time role as high performance coach for Scotland RU - a position he went into after ending his seven year tenure as Wigan head coach last autumn.

Thunder are owned by Semore Kurdi, who has transformed Newcastle RU and is thought to have plans to take the city's rugby league club into Super League.

Wane played nearly a decade at his hometown club and served Wigan as a scout and junior coach before becoming Michael Maguire's assistant in 2010. He took over at the start of 2012 and enjoyed huge success, taking the Warriors to five Grand Finals - winning three - as well as a Challenge Cup triumph, league leaders' shield win and the 2017 World Club Challenge victory.